Bought a new house with 9 acres, mostly wooded, with a stream running thru the middle, and neighbors. I've never hunted in what I'd call "close quarters", but it would be legal, and the area has a lot of whitetail deer. Some of the neighbors hunt, some don't. Several cornfields nearby, and I've already found some old cobs around my lot. No intent to hunt behind my house a lot, I have areas for hunting.

Acknowledging the safety concerns, and state requirement of at least 500 ft from occupied building, my question revolves around rifle/caliber choice. No long-distance shooting here, think more like 20 to 60 yds. There are also some old stone fence rows that might be a ricochet hazard if I screw up.

Is it best to pick something that sound of shot doesn’t carry as much as others, or go for making sure the deer goes down fast and close? Or worry more about ricochet? On-hand choices include 250SAV, 300SAV, 30-30, .308, and could throw in 16 or 12 ga slugs if called for. I've already ruled out some others like my .223, .280 and .350 RemMag. The .350 will anchor a deer fast, but a little noisy!

My thinking so far:

Among the 30 calibers, I'm leaning towards the 30-30 SAV 99. The terrain (and neighbors ) dictate short ranges, I trust the rifle (had it for 45 yrs), and to my ears the sound of a 30-30 doesn't carry as far as the others. 2nd choice 300SAV in Rem 700 Classic. The .308 is a great deer rifle, but just no need for it under these conditions, and it's the loudest.

The 250SAV is a nice, accurate Rem 700 Classic, with a 2-7x33 scope, and should do the job, but don't see much of an advantage over the 30-30 at the ranges I'm looking at. I don't reload, so limited to the 100gr Rem or Hornady factory loads. However, there is a strong chance that it could feel like a .250 day and use it anyway.

Slugs. I've never hunted deer with slugs. Main advantage might be reduced chance of ricochets, but no experience with that. I do have an old 12 ga Ithaca Deerslayer that I picked up on a whim, but haven't even tried any slugs thru it yet. Confidence with it lower than the rifles right now, would have to spend some shooting time with it. Also have a 20 in smooth bore barrel with rifle sights for my 870 that I could work with. If I step down to 16 GA it would be an Ithaca 37 with a 26 in IC barrel, no idea how that will handle slugs, never tried it.

So anyone still with me? Opinions/thoughts? Any strong feeling about getting up to speed with slugs?

If I was worried about pass throughs or slugs leaving the scene, I'd go with some tack driving speedster that would pretty well shatter on impact. The heavier ones slugs the greater the chance they'll keep on trucking. With safe practices, however, one should be fine with anything.

Edited to add: Given ones limited space, he might want to assure a near instant knock down depending on whether neighbors are amenable or not to a follow up chase if/when a victim makes off of ones property. Regardless of choice, I'd try to break them down on the spot. Given the suggested ranges, good shot placement should be pretty easy on standing game.

Good luck,

350 rem mag + cast pistol bullets + really reduced powder charges=fairly quiet, effective short range deer loads. Check the Lyman manual for load data.

I'm inclined to agree with your .30-30 choice with a fast opening bullet. My first buck at age 13 fell over and rolled down a little hill from a heart lung broadside shot with a .30-30. I've shot a lot of deer since then with bigger cartridges and aside from a cns shot, I never had one go down any faster than that first one. The ammunition companies have been tailor making perfect deer bullets for the .30-30 for years designed to expand at the lower .30-30 velocities. It's the same reason the ammo companies would never load that same bullet into a .30-06 or .300 WM. A guy that hunts near me uses a .30-30 and it is very distinctive for it's lack of noise. One shot every year and it's over.

So you missed the part about " I don't reload..."

30-30 is ideal for that close of range and wooded area. I have a marlin in .357 lever action which is a great gun for an area like that. I would definitely look at those as well.

anything bounces unless it falls apart.

9 acres is archery country. Even if its a crossbow IMHO.

If not, then I'd be hunting from high and shooting down at steep angles.

I would find a tough varmint type bullet for the 223 and use that. The Federal 55 grain load fits the bill it will exit on a behind the shoulder shot at least half the time but double shoulder shots it usually stays inside. If legal I would set up a feeder where the stone fence would be a back stop, if a bullet exits it won't have too much mass or velocity left to ricochet very far. Typically they would flatten out on rock or if at full velocity the would fragment, I would think only a glancing shot would be prone to ricocheting. Not sure whats available now but some of the 130 grain loads in the 30-30 would fill the same role.

I’d go with the 30-30.

Good points. I'm used to hunting a club with 16 members, 1200 acres, bordering over 25,000 acres of state wild forest. A little more elbow room. Which is where I will still do most of my deer hunting. The 9 acre lot behind my house will be more like when I feel like sitting out for an hour or two on a nice day.

I won't hunt deer with a .223. And no baiting in my area.

I do think looking into lighter bullet loads for the 30-30 is a good idea, I've always used 170s. 150s are easy to find, haven’t looked for 130gr loads yet.

Does the Deerslayer have a rifled barrel?

I’d see how the 20 ga did with slugs vs the 12ga. Slugs can be a study all their own.

A T/C Contender carbine in 30-30 may be interesting. The 130 Hornady is very accurate in my ‘06, a real killer. That’s not the varmint version.

Interesting situation. Congrats of the new digs, sounds nice. We always like pictures.

DF

Lots of the lower half of Wisconsin was designated shotgun only for many years until someone looked at the statistics and found that shotgun accidents outnumbered rifle accidents. The entire state is designated rifle acceptable now. The few deer that I've gunned with a 12 gauge slug went just as far or even farther than my rifle shot deer. I wouldn't have believed it given those slugs are like .79" in diameter before they even hit something.

Think “get off the ground” so you’re shooting into the dirt especially if you’re expecting short range shots.

We used to hunt 10 acres on the edge of Kansas City. Landowner limited us to a 243/6mm with light bullets or one of the smaller 22 calibers.

We probably killed about 50 deer from this property with 223, 22-250 and 243/6mm.


Pick your shots. 90% of our deer were shot from a tree stand at 30 yards or less.

No issues killing deer or having them get over onto neighboring properties.

Plan on more exits with greater chance of ricochets with something this heavy and lower velocities than the 22 calibers or 24s with light bullets.

308 150gr or lighter softpoint.
Follow navlav8r's advice and shoot into the ground.

Slow speed and solid bullets are what ricochets are made of.

I would also avoid them due to the desire to avoid a longer
track. Sure shot placement trumps all. Duh! But tissue disruption
kills. And you do not want your deer bleeding all over you non-hunting neighbors concrete pool surround.

I was part of deer cull in a city of 85,000. I used a 243 and shot 80gr. Remington ammo. 70 deer and not a one went more than 10 yards. Others used 223 with 55 gr. ammo with like results. If doing it again I would put a suppressor on the 243 and use the same ammo.

No rifling in the Deerslayer, it's an older minimum dimension smooth bore. Some had a pretty good rep for slug accuracy. The 16 GA is a featherweight, not sure how much time I want to spend behind that shooting slugs.

Already have my 30-30, 1923 vintage Savage 99 featherweight. Took my buck with it last November, still works just fine.

If I was limited to only 9 acres with neighbors close by and worried about noise--- a 30-30 at close distance is load enough to sound like a .308. to me. Very short shots. 50 yds or less---- Good Crossbow--- with practice under 50 yds it's a very very deadly weapon. Noise = Zero

The recommendations for smaller caliber, higher velocity could bring my 250 SAV more into the game. I have Hornady and Rem 100gr ammo on hand, and a stash of winchester 87gr softpoints. With the Rem 700's 24 in barrel the 87gr loads should step out pretty good.

nope i want a rifle that knocks that deer down right now and noise so people know i am hunting my land. give me my 257 Weatherby Mag or a 264 Win. Mag no pussy foot`n around and just maybe your neighbors will keep their dogs home too then.i went thru this years ago with shooting and noise from rifles i won in court and have now been left alone and they keep their dogs home too.

87 would be as heavy as I would go regardless of caliber/cartridge.

A light fast bullet is very effective on small critters like deer.

Based on the parameters given I'd set up some tree stands and use a 30-30. Although for the anticipated distances we could easily be talking slug gun. Try the shotguns with different slugs and see what works. For many years I hunted areas that were shotgun / handgun only. Fully rifled shotgun barrels were a real game changer when introduced. If I had to replace my current slug gun I'd get a Savage 220 in a heartbeat.... A fully rifled 20 ga. bolt gun that shoots like a rifle; and a 12 ga. sabot isn't absolutely required. 20 ga. sabots work just as good even at a bit over 100 yds.. I've seen it enough to make me want one. But then, that area sounds like a great archery or crossbow spot, also.

357 mag in a rifle

How would the Remington Managed Recoil loads work in 30-30? I think you would be ok with them.
The 357 mag in a rifle would be good too.

Some of our deer aren't all that small. I've taken some that were over 200 lbs field dressed. 87gr is lighter than I'd normally consider.

The 200lb plus deer are rare, but if your gear is set up for small deer your screwed when a bruiser shows up.

Here in New Jersey we are limited to shotguns for deer (or muzzleloaders and bows). I have a Savage bolt action 20 gauge shotgun that is very accurate. Recoil is minimal, and my friends have killed deer with the same shotgun at 200 yards. A 20 gauge slug makes a big hole in a deer. That would be my choice.

Same here. Midwest whitetails.

My largest was about 250# on hoof. Killed with a 60 grain Partition at about 20 steps. A short 40 yard or so semi circle and he was done. Shot through both scapulas. Trying to find a pic of him.

Several 180-200# deer with a 243 or 6mm and an 85 grain Sierra flat base. Rarely run and I get exits about 90% of the time.

Not gearing up for small deer just had to set up our rigs due to the landowners wishes because of houses within 300 yards in 3 directions.

I can only think of 1 shot over 50 yards and most under 30.

If a tree stand is possible use it and any caliber you would normally choose. At close range you’d be shooting at a sharp downward angle. Also, at close range it “should” take just one shot. BOOM - then silence - not like a fire fight breaking out. I wouldn’t think that would bother many neighbors - especially if they’re familiar with you and know that you may be hunting on your property at times.
For 11 years we lived on a small acreage (5-1/2 acres). We had 3 neighbors - all a half mile away. Although I didn’t hunt there (other than whacking the occasional coyote, crow or magpie), I had a safe backstop and did all of my load development and target practice at home. Not once in that 11 years did I hear a complaint.
Of course I had gotten to know my neighbors (all farmers - not acreage owners) and had permission to hunt on their land whenever I pleased.

That’s a very nice buck 10 ga.👍

Hmmm, sounds like a good excuse for buying a Marlin 1894CL in 25-20 or 32-20

For deer?! Be better off dragging out my grandfather's old 38-40, except the barrel is worn out and won't stabilize bullets anymore. Makes interesting noises as they tumble thru the air.

30-30 or 12 gauge slugs. I have had most deer DRT with 160 gr Leverevolution 30-30 but had deer run 75 yards with 12 ga sabot slugs. If you are close to a border even a short run could put a deer on your neighbor's land.

This⬆️, especially if the terrain is flat. If your land is rolling or has ravines, just plan your shooting lanes accordingly.

I'd lean towards your .30/30 with 150gr bullets, but also consider using your slug guns with full-caliber slugs since smoothbores and sabots don't mix. Millions of deer have fallen to regular slugs at ranges up to 100 yards, and the Deerslayer was conceived for just such shooting. Order a selection of slugs from Midway or Grafs and see what your gun(s) like. The modern notion that only rifled slug barrels are worth using only applies to shooting past 100 yards. Be aware, however, that slugs can ricochet just like anything else, worse sometimes, so require the same caution as any other bullet. I like Brenneke slugs best, but Remington Fosters and Federal Tru-balls have shot pretty well in some guns too.

Use whatever, just hunt from ladder stands and shoot downward.

Hunt a less than 20 acre thicket w houses pretty much pn two sides

Other sides are a road and a field...w house a couple hundred yards out.

Treestands and 35 remingtons work well.

Nothing barks as gently as a ML. Black or subs, moderate loads, heavy lead cast soft.

I think that a 20 gauge with a rifled barrel shooting sabot rounds would be quiet enough and Federal makes a soft lead projectile that would minimize the ricochet potential.

If its 20-60 yard shooting Id be using the .223 and head shots. Easy Peasy ....

I'd even down load it a bit....

He already has his M-99, 30-30.

If that was my call, I'd load 130 Hornady spire points and go kill stuff. Those 130's (not the varmint version), are deadly on WT's. If one of those will blow thru a WT's chest, you may not need heavier bullets. And the 130's fly faster than heavier bullets, hit hard with good tissue destruction, great exits and good blood flow. Mostly I've seen DRT's with the '06, but moving at over 3K fsp.. Will have to check how fast a 30-30 will push 130's, but it should be pretty impressive vs. heavier bullets. And, the 99 will handle spire points.

DF

Just checked. In a bolt gun, one can push 130's in a 30-30 to around 2,900 fps. I'd not take an older 99 that fast, probably stay around 2,600 fps which would be deadly and should shoot well.

Interesting proposition.

DF

Sounds like my old 38-40. You never knew where the bullets were going to go. I sold it to a collector. I'm a shooter. I need guns that shoot straight.

I was thinking the same. I've used a .22 magnum with head shots where houses were close and noise was a prime consideration. It worked well.

Subsonic hunting loads are available for some of what you have. Pick the one with the longest barrel that you can use to place shots exactly for CNS hits to drop the deer on the spot.

My vote would be for the thuddy-thuddy also, mostly because it means you'll be carrying that sweet old classic Savage 99.

Yes, I did. Sorry about that.

No, no...he doesn't reload. Missed that bit buried in the middle of the fifth paragraph too, huh?

It was kind of a long post.

I live in what was a shotgun only state and the last thing I’d buy is a shotgun or slug rifle. I’ll admit though, the 220 is a very good, accurate and effective slug rifle, I had more than one and my family uses them. Ammunition is expensive. The 12 gauge sucks. Total overkill and unnecessarily abusive. I have no experience with the 30-30 but frankly it makes sense from what you’ve stated. If you like the AR platform, the 450 Bushmaster would be a good choice. It basically replicates the 50 caliber muzzleloader which is super effective on deer at closer ranges. Have fun whatever you decide!

.357 magnum rifle with most any jsp or lrn bullet 125-180 grain. You could go subsonic and still get the job done.

Ithaca smooth bore slugs.... perfect

I live on 13 acres, neighbors on 2 sides luckily the other 2 sides have the deer habitat. From my experience you need a cns shot placement with 100 % foolproof backstop or don't shoot. If you can't place your shot within an inch at those 20-60 yd opportunities don't shoot. It takes years to build good neighbors and you can screw that into forever with 1 misplaced shot. MB

This is the answer. Let the earth be your backstop.

Also, your new hunting situation is a great reason to start reloading

IMO/E this is pretty good advice. Both my boys started with a 357 Mag single shot rifle. Shots ranged from 25-60yds. Only one deer made any tracks and that was 30yds. The report of the 357 in a rifle is much "gentler" than any other centerfire I've used, including slug guns. As far as them making tracks after the shot, that's as much where you hit them as what you hit them with. With high shoulder shots the 158gr Hollowpoints put them down very fast.

I have a similar situation in Ohio. But noise is not a concern for me.

I've used .45-70, .375win, .44 mags and .450 Bushmaster. As well as 12&20 ga slugs.

In your situation I'd use the .30-30 and go kill some deer. But any option is fine

-Jake

You have me beat by 8 acres but your comment is spot on. My place is about a football field wide by two football fields long. It’s crawling with deer and I see really nice bucks regularly. I wouldn’t hunt my land because the deer are pretty tame, but if I did I’d pick the lowest recoiling rifle I had with the scope set to 6x and use a CNS shot. Probably neck, since the head moves so much. I’d set up a 3”x3” target and see if I could hit it every time.




P

He needs to rectify that short coming...

DF

My 1892, 1910 vintage .38-40. Those actions get pretty slick after a hundred years or so. Been a few WT's killed with the .38-40 over the decades.

Bore is shiny with a few pits. This thing is really accurate, shot tighter groups than my then new .45 Colt Marlin Cowboy.

DF

Never seen a big enough whitetail ribcage to stop a small bullet..

And I actually shot buck once that was supposed to be a bit over 200 pounds, neck was 27 inches at the ears.. with a 22LR to finish the deer when I managed to break his neck but he was not dead with a 300 wtby. That 22 pistol round went through a rib, into the heart and into the offside somewhere IIRC.

Bullet choice, shot placement. Simple as that. And being picky about the shot that presents.

OTOH if I'm going to be mad if I have to pass a southbound north end shot up, I run with some pretty large for animal rounds.

Yeah, what's too large if you can handle it and shoot it well.

Looks at Elkhunternm's jackwabbit ordinance, or what gunner500 uses to kill those killer Okie 'dillers...

DF

45-70

I'm saying .44magnum or a slug barrel on a shotgun.

a bigger faster cartridge kills faster less wounded deer running around neighborhood ? and much better one shot kills too.to be honest you can`t beat just a 30-06 rifle for factory to find anyplace.

Go hunt them and see how "tame" they become. The 10 acres we used to hunt had the same tame deer.

We wod get out of the guys yard and in a tree and they were just as wired as deer that rarely see humans.

Maybe so, but if I wanted to kill a deer I wouldn’t leave the yard. I’d wait for a good buck to come out and eat the bread I throw for the does. A nice 3x3 gave me poison oak a few years ago when he let me pet him while he was eating apples out of my hand. I sort of forgot where he lived and didn’t wash my hands right away.




P

I’ve had dead deer run far enough to leave a 10 acre parcel after a solid hit with a .30-06.

CNS is the only sure thing in my experience.



P

This right here.

I have, too. Seem’em run way out of 10 ac, solid hit with a 26 Nosler, the bullet smokin fast.

Head or neck shoot’em. Round choice less important.

DF

Good point. There have been several times where I have really not wanted deer to run far. I have and also have had my son intentionally aim for where the neck and front shoulder meet. With a .40 cal 200 grain XTP traveling north of 2600 f/s from an SML, results have been spectacular.

I have both a ruger 77/44, and a ruger 44 carbine, they are both awesome deer slayers and are pretty quiet. I would recommend any rifle in a pistol caliber though with a short carbine type barrel.

Remington 125gr corelok managed recoil. Good for your stated 20-60yards. A lot quieter than your full power 170gr loads.

For shots to about 100 yards my favorite rifle is a flintlock. Just a cool way to bring home the meat.
But for short range it's pretty hard to beat a 30-30 or 35 Remington. And revolver shells in carbines (357 mag and 44 mag) work great too.
Of course any gun is OK if you gave a safe backstop and a bullet that opens up fast and isn't very strong will make a close range deer rifle out of a 300 Mag with little danger to the neighbors too. Just hard of deer meat.

I would go real precision and use head shots. A 22 Mag is quiet but is a rim fire. The other choice would be a 223 with 40 grain Nosler BT’s. Sight in at 35-40 yards. Either way get a heavy short barrel with plenty of scope and be very precise with shot placement. No meat loss and down right now. Be disciplined and if you don’t get a perfect shot then don’t shoot. You should be able to set up multiple suitable stands for this on your 9 acres.

Practice shooting something the size of a walnut until you can hit 100% of the time. At the distances of 20-60 should be fun. I like getting close and watching game. You don’t have to take everything that shows up.

There isn’t anything that will immediately anchor deer with body shots, nothing.

And with precise head shots they all work the same whether a 22 Mag or a 375 Magnum.

I wouldn't worry about the difference in sound level of any of the cartridges you mention. You're looking to do a one shot drop dead. A single rifle shot won't matter. Personally wouldn't go 30-30 as first choice. I'd pick the .308 with 150gr Accubond from Nosler or Underwood. Underwood lists that load at 2950fps and from what I hear they don't exaggerate. And the price is less than Nosler. Go shoulder shot a third to half way up. The deer will fall down and die. Maybe die and fall down. You're aiming for bone but even if you're off a little that load will make up for small errors.

Full disclosure, I've never shot anything with a .308 but have been on both sides using Ballistic Tip among others in 30-06 150gr and 7mm-08 in 120 BT and TSX, also .270 with 130 Accubond. At anything around 2900 fps with a 150 AB in your .308 you're as close to drop dead as you'll get even burning more powder with more noise. If you're really trippin on the 99 do it. Just about any 150 will work, maybe 170 for bone. And the 130 Hornady mentioned sounds very interesting, maybe for high lung/spine/shoulder blade. Personally don't care for head shots because they can turn into jaw shots etc. OK, cough medicine wearing off. Better stop yakking and get some sleep.

Mike:

Slug guns are not all that safe. If they hit a rock, the ricochets tend to travel a lot farther. I wouldn't necessarily scrap the slug idea, but don't use safety as a reason. At very close range, a slug will be devastating. However, you will be limited in range.

Really anything you've mentioned will work. The only one I'd really cross off is the 350 REM MAG. I shoot a 35 Whelen at times, and my neighbors know when I've had a successful outing.

My advice is to use the 308 WIN. It will bring the animal down. It is not THAT much louder than a 30-30, but it will do demonstrably more damage to the deer and with good shot placement, the deer will be anchored on the spot. It covers all the ranges, all the likely scenarios, and does so with aplomb.

If all you got is 9 acres and you've got houses all around, I'd just make sure that you are hunting from an elevated position and firing down. This is the best way to ensure the bullet goes into the dirt fairly close to the animal.

Slugs ricochet like a superball...

This is the realistic best answer.

One loud report, regarldess of what its from, is much better than any bullets or wounded deer stumbling or tumbling into their back yards.

Shoot from a stand, always aim into the dirt, hunt the property like you have a bow and be glad you can use a rifle. From above hit spine into the vitals and they are DRT regardless fo what you use.

Were I you Id bloody each gun on the new property.

An then start loading cast bullets for your 350 or for your new 45-70 falling block or rebore dads old 38-40 to ... something.

44-40?

Call JES.

DF

7.62x39!

I've killed a ton of axis deer on a 10 acre homesite. The shot was a little downhill and we had a large fallen tree as a backstop. My Bushmaster .223 and 64 gr. Winchester Ranger ammunition always did the trick. I never had one run more than 10 yards.

The 38-40 is worn out. One of my cousins has it stashed away. It's an old Colt Lightning pump.

Gotcha. Colt Lightning isn't the most robust design...

So, it needs a LOT more than a new bore...

DF

Well, this topic has some legs.

Good news is that my lot is not flat. Slopes down behind the house to a wide stream bed, then up a small ridge on the other side, maybe 40 ft elevation gain from stream to top of ridge. I own most of the way up the side of the ridge, but the guy that has the lot along top of ridge hunts and has tree stands up close to the property line.

Downstream there is vacant private land for a little ways, a good 800 ft until any buildings. Upstream the next lot has a residence that I'd need to remember and would not be a good direction to shoot. Safest directions would be to set up to shoot towards base of ridge, or to cross over stream and set up on side of the ridge and shoot down towards the stream - if the back neighbor isn't in his tree stand shooting towards my lot! Will probably have to talk with him about that so he's aware of where I could be.

Good info from you folks that have hunted with shotgun slugs, didn't realize they could ricochet that much - now don't see any advantage to them.

The rifle I use most for deer is my .308 Kimber Montana, with 165gr Federal Fusion loads. Good setup for any size deer. Went to 165s to make sure I had exits and good blood trails, never had to track a deer more than about 30 yds so far with it. BUT, since its my main rifle, would not want to resight it for lighter bullets that I'd only want to use occasionally behind the house.

Feel kind of same about the 30-30, normally use 170s, so again don't think I want to sight it in for lighter ammo.

This is pushing me farther towards the 30-30 as is, or the .250 SAV.

I'd not worry too much about it. Even if a deer runs 50 yards, at most, 99% of the time whether from a solid lung/heart hit you'll be in great shape with any of your current rifles. If you can take out bone, so much the better, but I'll take a rifle over a slug anyday of the week as far as shorter blood trails and closer to instant deaths. Like a few have mentioned, I haven't seen anything wallop deer dead with lung hits everytime, but quick expanding bullets tend to make the trails shorter.

I've done this on my property and have used: 55grn .223, 75grn .223, 70grn 25-20, 88grn 22 creedmoor, 115grn 257 Roberts, 150grn 30-30, 240grn .44 mag carbine, and have used a bow.

20 yard neck shots work really well.

Time to upgrade!

Just had this discussion with a friend. Believe I’ve found a small area where a good buck may try to find refuge when the shooting starts next November here in PA. Plan on waiting in ambush with either a M54 30 WCF or a 1895 Chilean 7x57.

Any of those would be winners in my book, and I believe the Hornady 125gr SST Lite 308 ammo might fit the bill for a quick-expanding bullet that should be less likely to exit.

Don't let anybody bullshyt you on cartridge effectiveness. I've used the .243, .30-30. .308 and .30-06 pretty extensively on deer. There isn't enough difference between them in how quick they'll put a deer on the ground to shake a stick at. Shot through the lungs with any of them you'll typically get a 30-60 yard death run. High shoulder, neck/spine or head and they'll drop right there with any of them. I haven't seen anything that will reliably drop them on the spot with lung shots and I've seen them shot with 7mm mag, .338 mag and .45-70... At the ranges you describe, pick your poison.

Whoever said "shoot from a tree stand" first has the right idea. Or at least in some way as to put dirt behind your shot. that will be good for your peace of mind as well as for your relationship with your neighbors. You might clear a couple of safe shooting lanes on your property.

I'm surprised at a maximum distance of 60 yd that no one has yet recommended a handgun.

Your .30-30 is all you need. Or your 12 gauge slug gun, But I would certainly pattern it at distance to see how accurate it/you are first.

If you're wanting to buy a new gun that rifled Savage 220 in 20ga is pretty hard to beat. I have a 2-7x variable on mine and it is very surprisingly accurate.

20-60 yards and a Modified 12 gauge choke full of 3" OO Buck will ROLL any deer you shoot at.

Always fun to read these old advertisements.

Hard to beat the 30-06, 30-30, 44-40 and 38-40 unless you are out on the wide open plains.

I'm a LOT better shot with a rifle!

I'm in complete agreement with the elevated stand and 30 - 30. Perfect setup.

Shotgun slugs legal, any centerfire rifle or pistol cartridge legal. Buckshot not legal for deer (or bear), must fire a single projectile.

So, technically, you could hunt with a .32 ACP if crazy enough, but no buckshot. Go figure.

Any of the centerfire rifle loads you mention would work fine. I have used all of them . I shoot a .250 Savage pretty well. Less recoil than a .243. You might find you like it.

Slugs- I have used 12 and 20 gauge slugs Fosters, Brennekes and sabots on deer and one black bear. They all work extremely well. Very little wasted meat. If I need them to go down right there I aim for a shoulder.

Specifically, I have a 12 gauge Ithaca Deerslayer with iron sights among my shotguns. The Deerslayer barrels are precisely choked and are very accurate for a smoothbore shotgun. 3-6 in three shot groups at 100 yards depending on how my old eyes are doing with the sights. One thing that is important with smoothbore slugs is they favor specific loads, try several. The silver box Winchester 2 3/4 in Super-X slugs have worked better than any others. Second best has been Federal Tru-Ball.
I use the 12 gauge Deerslayer more to woods bum as I can take a grouse or rabbit and put down a bear if I see one. The Deerslayer choke is close to IC and pattens well.

20 or 12 ga slug, lungs and a shoulder.....keeps the trails shorter.

But the ammo whops the shoulder and wallet, not just the deer.

Rifle a better choice IMHO.

Something that doesnt roar or smack.
Am sold on the .35 rem......in a pump

Had good luck in the smoothbore days w M500s out to 150 yards.
Went 870 when rifled bbls came out.
WW Hi Impact Supremes were sub 2" at 100.
Good to shake the snot out of the sinuses too.

They dropped that slug and I sold my gun.
Had two 870s I ran w that ammo.
Wicked good.

Last slug deer was w 870P.....and Activ slugs.
Just an old school fun hunt. Double lung and busted off shoulder.....100" eight point ran 125 yards total.

Surprised me. Blasted him at 25 from a stand

Dont mind shotguns at all.
Like rifles better

I'm fortunate. My old 38-40 still shoots pretty accurate.

Jerry

Has no soul.

Sure! I was trying to come up with someone more esoteric and came up empty.

Slug guns are very powerful within their limited range of approx 100 yards. They'll clobber any animal within North America, but deer are not difficult to topple. Recoil is quite stout with these shotguns and may dissuade hunters from practicing with them. I vote for the 30-30 as a proven deer cartridge. As stated by others, the reduced decibel level may be just what you're seeking.

Majority of my deer hunting within the past few years has been with my modern crossbow fitted with a 4X scope sight. I hunt from a climbing type tree stand about 12 feet off the ground with great success.

Good hunting to you!
Sherwood

That would be a bow hunting proposition for me.

Nine acres is nice, but it still is pretty close to neighbors. If in square shape, one square acre is about 70 yards x 70 yards. So nine acres would be 3 x 70 yards or 210 yards x 210 yards. That means of you are smack can in the middle, your property line is just over 100 yards in any direction.

Go with the shotgun slug, 12 gauge Deerslayer or your 20 gauge Rem 870.

Consider archery for that piece of property. Southwest Archery Spyder XL takedown recurve, about $150. Get a set of 40# limbs for hunting, and 30-35# for practice ( about $80/set). Great bow. AMO 64" smooth drawing length.

300 BO or 350 Legend

I like the .30-30 in the '99 option. But I'd think about those 130 grains. They aren't really made to expand at .30-30 speeds and may hold together better. I'd go with some Core Lokt 150s as in Remington factory .30-30 ammo. It'll probably expand faster at .30-30 velocities.

I'd be all over a .357 Mag rifle for this scenario.
That and/or a crossbow.

I didn't read all the responses but I have 8 acres and pretty much same situation. I hunt with a ruger 77/44 95% of the time

I would use the same one I'd use in a large area. It's either safe to use a firearm or it's not.

I have 10 acres. Killed several deer, also hogs, with a Savage 99 .300 Savage. Have also killed two bucks with a .270. For hogs, mostly use a TC .44 mag with a suppressor firing suppressed loads.

Mostly very careful of shot direction.

Mike Holmes

Agree from a safety standpoint. But noise is also a consideration, if you want to be considerate of your neighbors...

I guess I'm not understanding why the neighbor would care if you used a 30-30 or .300. If it's not safe for one of them it's not for the other. What am I missing?

Some equate louder noise with more danger. Kids or babies sleeping? Dogs? Depends on the neighbors. Some it might bother. Some not. If it were me, and I had a quieter option that was just as effective ( e.g. 30/30 vs 300 WM) I would use it. YMMV

Archery would be the obvious choice. Bow or Xbow. Not a fan of the latter. But if you want a bang, i would shoot a 44 mag lever action with a defense load (wider hollow point). I shoot a lot of game w a 44 revolver with a red dot. I open up the Hornady XTP tips to 1/8" and 0,200" deep with a drill on a drill press. Bullet rarely exits on a shoulder shot and the wide hollow point aids in expansion and dumps them in their tracks every time if i hit the vitals. I bought a 44 lever gun last year to try something different.

But I agree with the ones that said to shoot from up high. only makes sense.

SnT

223 ,,, 40 gr vmax

Noise level of one shot fired from a .223 vs one shot fired from a .375 would not concern me. What happens after the shot does.

Poor placement, marginal power, and/or poor bullet selection resulting in a dead/dying animal on your neighbor's lawn........or in his swimming pool (yes)........will be a concern.

More than anything else, place the bullet well.

I dont worry about the noise. People hunt all around us.
Not too far away folks target shoot.
Theres blastin going on in the county all the time.
Proly less there than in the city these days lol

44mag or muzzle loader

I’m coming up on having 9ac of an old farmstead, but I’ll have only some bordering country roads to contend with, and no neighbors within maybe a half mile. I’ll also have a decent range fan that I don’t have to worry about anything for nearly a mile. OTOH, I’ve done a good bit of coyote sniping in 5-10ac pieces, right in a small town, with neighbors spaced away through woods, at intervals. I’ve got some undulating terrain and some elevated stands, and there’s also some areas/certain directions with no neighbors, and I only shoot those directions, into the earth/hillside backstops. Otherwise, I pass the shots, unless I know where I’m gonna hit the the critter, catch the bullet in some dirt, and keep it on the property. I’ve been primarily using a 6.8 over a 223, due to just being more comfortable with straight line penetration. It’s not ideal, and requires some extra discipline for safety....but the problem warranted it at the time. I’d only sport hunt deer there from stands shooting down into the hillsides, and safe directions. Probably trying only cns, well inside 100......but I don’t hunt the deer there.

If I were you, I'd make damn sure you're high up in a stand, shooting at a relatively sharp angle on 9 acres. True story in Georgia. Hunter, on the ground, shoots at deer level with him 100 yards away. Misses. Bullet travels about a mile and hits an old man in the butt, who was bending over hoeing his cabbage. Long story short. Deputy Sheriff tracks down hunter. Hunter arrested. Hunter sued. Nice settlement for an old man with a sore butt.

Elevated shot, then use whatever you want. 223 with somewhat frangible bullets would likely be great at both dropping the deer right there and preventing bullets going where they shouldn't.

I have over a dozen rifles I can use for deer-from 6x45,.243's,25/06,6.5 creedmoor,.308 etc. I always grab my Marlin 336 A 30-30.It has a 24" bbl. and a 4x Leupold and shoots the 130 grain Speer flat point 2500 fps.8 shots in two years accounted for 6 deer and 2 coyotes from 50-221 yards.One buck ran 20 yards,everything else dropped.Last buck was at 50 yards and scored 174".

Buckshot!

Ruin a little meat, but no doubt the safest under his circumstances.

Also illegal under his circumstances...

I'm calling BS on that. Unless the guy had his rifle sighted in to hit 90 feet high at 100 yards.

20-60 yard shots?

I'd go with a lever gun in .44 mag.

We hunt small parcels with .44 magnum carbine ( Ruger M77/44) and Remington 870 12 gauge rifled barrel with cantilever scope mount and Hornady SST sabots. If your 870 trigger is not in the 9-10 lb range, Consider getting a rifled 20 gauge barrel for your 870 with cantilevered mounted scope for better shot placement and use the Hornady 20 gauge reduced recoil SST loads which use a jacketed bullet, offer .45-70 level performance, and perhaps less tendency to ricochet than lead Foster slugs.

Regardless of which cartridge you choose, shot placement is critical for DRT. Heart/lung shots with 12 gauge sabots may not drop a deer in it's tracks and following a blood trail for 150-200 yards after dark and rousting neighbors for permission to recover with vehicle is a PITA. Use something that you can make head, neck or high shoulder shots with.

I've had better luck DRT with the Ruger 77/44.....Scope, crisp rifle trigger....at 20-60 yard ranges with 240 gr Federal factory loads. Pass on 100 yard and longer shots.

I don't have an elevated platform, but agree that shooting down is desirable and would, in most instances, give one greater flexibility in picking safe shots. My limited experience in elevated shooting is that you can get closer shots from up high.

22 magnum, pick your shots

I’d hunt the .250 just for grins! What a great tree-stand rifle.

Live on 7.5 ac, mostly heavy woods with homes scattered around the perimeter. I know where the hazards exist and the safe corridors are as well. I understand ricochet dynamics better than most and would never consider the use of any rifle for taking game. It would be legal in my circumstances, but is far too risky IMO. Close quarters with a load of #3 or 4 buck is another story. 40 yds or less with the proper target aspect and I’d do the deed.

How long you been hunting? He was hunting
on a plateau, the bullet traveled past the deer, off the plateau, down into a valley where the old black man was hit in his butt while bending over. A high powered bullet, like a 30/06, can go a long ways if it's not obstructed. You see, sir, that's why they have backstops at firing ranges.

Whatever you say

Wow. Just can't be wrong, huh? What a passive-aggressive prick.